TECHNOLOGY GENERATOR

Technological Institute of the Philippines
Engr. John Joel Martinez

THE PROBLEM

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed critical gaps in healthcare systems, particularly in the availability of mechanical ventilators in low-resource settings. During peak surges, many hospitals in the Philippines lacked access to life-saving respiratory support equipment. Manual ambu-bagging became a common but unsustainable practice in emergency care. In smaller provincial hospitals, the high cost of conventional ventilators—ranging from Php 500,000 to over Php 1 million—meant that lifesaving care was often out of reach for patients in critical need.

THE SOLUTION

SiglaVent is a cost-effective automated resuscitator system designed to address the urgent need for accessible ventilator support. It automates manual bag-valve-mask devices with intelligent, computer-implemented control over key respiratory parameters, providing safe, accurate, and consistent ventilation. SiglaVent is suitable for temporary respiratory support—whether while waiting for ICU availability or during patient transport—and offers crucial features such as adjustable tidal volume (250–1000 mL), respiratory rates (18–30 bpm), and customizable I:E ratios (1:1 to 1:5). Built-in safety alarms, a 2-hour backup battery, touch screen interface, data logging, and field calibration capabilities make it a reliable and user-friendly solution for frontline healthcare providers.

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT STATUS

SiglaVent has reached Technology Readiness Level 9, following successful design optimization and a completed clinical investigation at the Lung Center of the Philippines as of December 2022. The device meets ASEAN Medical Device Directive standards and is listed with the Philippine FDA. It has passed critical safety and performance tests including Biopac® lung simulations and third-party evaluations by MedEquip. A manufacturing partnership with P.IMES Corporation has enabled design for manufacturability, and the product is ready for widespread deployment.

CURRENT NEEDS

As SiglaVent moves toward full market deployment under the ENMEI product line, the team is actively seeking additional funding and strategic support to complete remaining critical activities. Key next steps include the manufacturing setup, which involves producing three units with an optimized design, followed by reliability and warranty testing at the Electronics Product Development Center (EPDC), and further mass production repeatability tests on an additional three units to ensure consistency. Regulatory compliance is also a top priority, including securing a CE Mark, FDA License to Operate, and a Certificate of Product Registration. Funding is also needed for the initial production run, covering both manufacturing and quality testing of the first batch. In parallel, the team continues to pursue partnerships with healthcare institutions, distributors, and local governments, as well as participation in medical conventions and training programs to support device integration and widespread adoption.

CONTACT DETAILS

TECHNOCORE Catalyst Office
Technological Institute of the Philippines
Email: itso.technocore@tip.edu.ph | technocore@tip.edu.ph
Phone: (+632) 8911 0964 ext. 550